Happy New Year

 All the best in 2015!

G/Alphabe-Thursday

 Winter glitz #1

G is for GLITZ, winter glitz

Ice has a glitzy as well as a dangerous side. A year ago an ice storm coated much of Ontario with glitz.

Winter glitz #2

A wall of festive lights were still on during the day, which I'm sure was not quite as glitzy as it would have been at night.

Winter glitz #3

Ice and icicles on some rocks on the shore of Lake Simcoe.

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Sneaky Woodpecker

 Male Hairy Woodpecker with peanut in his mouth

I was a witness, yes I was! I witnessed blatant thievery in the forest!

 Hairy Woodpecker hiding peanut

 Red-bellied Woodpecker watching

 Trying to get a better look

Getting an even better look!

Got it!!

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Crumbling Barn

North of the City of Markham

There's no shortage of crumbling barns this close to Toronto.

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Last week of 2014

 Entrance to Frenchman's Bay on Lake Ontario

The weather this week has not been frightful - certainly not as icy as December 2013 - but it has been rather dreary in spite of the above normal temperatures. On Saturday, the light looking south over Lake Ontario was lovely through the haze.

 Entrance to Frenchman's Bay

Tons of people were out enjoying the mild weather walking their dogs along a breakwater,

 Lake Ontario

or simply walking themselves along a beach.

Swans, Mallard and Canada Geese

Even water birds seemed to be delighted with the weather.

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Llamas

 Brown llama with spots

Yesterday (Friday, Boxing Day in Canada) was a warm enough day for two llamas to be out in a farmer's field munching dried grass.  Both were curious about me but even more interested in the munchies. They seemed to be happy that Christmas and Boxing Day were brown this year instead of white.

Whitish llama

Llamas are herd animals and apparently it's cruel to have only one because they like each others company. I have seen many farms with only one llama and so far not one of them has complained to me. But these two did seem happy to be together in the same field.

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Bond Head Piers

Reflections on icy waters at Bond Head

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Decorated

 All spruced up for the holidays!

Santa's Stable

But that's not all!

 Merry Christmas!

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

F/Alphabet-Thursday

 Leprechaun Santa? Leprechaun Father Christmas?

F is for FUN

The Tartan Shop in Port Perry has tree ornaments I've never seen before. The shopkeepers graciously allowed me to photograph them.

 Pocelain ball decorated with shamrocks

 Porcelain snow person decorated with thistles

Porcelain stocking decorated with thistles

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Mourning Dove

 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Mourning Doves are sometimes known as Turtle Doves...and we all know (don't we?) about the second day of Christmas when "my true love gave to me two Turtle Doves and...."

Sitting on a mossy branch

It's hard to believe that  these birds who forage - seemingly lazily - under winter bird feeders can actually fly up to 88 kph (55 mph)!

Foraging for seeds

I guess they need to be fast as apparently Mourning Doves are the U.S.'s leading game bird. I have never eaten dove or squab (young doves). Have you?

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Out of Service, In Service

 Out of service

This rusty, old tractor is sitting in front a building in the Holland Marsh, a former marsh that was drained about a century ago for growing vegetables. A small portion of this growing area is in East Gwillimbury. This tractor looks like it may have been one of the earliest tractors to work the surrounding fields, dontcha think?

In Service

I'm not sure how old this Santa actually is (his voice sounded kinda young) but he sure does LOOK old!
In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.
More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

White Christmas?

 A week ago

Until a few days ago, it looked like we might have a white Christmas this year.

 A local farm on a sunny day

We'd had a snowfall deep enough to shovel but since then much of the snow has melted away. And now the weather forecasters are calling for rain. The good news is no one has to shovel rain. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn out to be freeing rain!

Hairy woodpecker eating seeds out of dad's hand

Yesterday a  dad and his son were feeding chickadees when a hairy woodpecker decided it was brave enough to eat out of dad's hand too!

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Horses in Late Afternoon

 YUM! Hay!

It was time for a late afternoon snack and this horse was "making  eating hay while the sun shines." This time of year the sun doesn't shine a whole lot over central Ontario so...

horses have gotta be quick to eat in the sun.

Although one did check out what the photographer was up to and...

another decided to take a closer look.

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Chocolates, Anyone?

Decorated tree in Port Perry window

A  "streetscape"  reflected in the window of a chocolate shop featuring a white Christmas tree.  I bet lots of you would like to find chocolates under your tree on Christmas morning, right?

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Rusty Wheel

 Original photo - seed planter or potato setter

"Creativity is imagination and imagination is for everyone."
~ Paul Arden

Split toning

Cropped, rotated, split toning, pixellated

Cropped, rotated, glowing edges

I am joining Geometric Friday HERE.

Christmas Fence

Downtown Port Perry

My husband, some friends and I were in Port Perry last Saturday.  Snow had fallen a couple of days before and Christmas garlands had been placed on the fence around a small garden there.

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

E/Alphabe-Thursday

 Cat's eyes

E is for EYES.

I can't resist kitties with such sweet eyes.

 Doll's eyes

In a store window, Port Perry

Santa's eyes, Port Perry

He's making a list, he's checking it twice!

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Lesser Scaup

 Female Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

Lesser Scaups are medium-sized diving ducks. This one had just come up from a dive in the harbour at Bond Head (Newcastle) where it had been foraging for clams, snails and aquatic seeds and plants.

Stretching and shaking her wings

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Old Farm Machinery

Lawn ornament

I'd love to tell you what this is but I dunno. It's sitting on the lawn in front of a local farmhouse. Maybe someday I'll knock on the owner's door and ask.  Meanwhile, I want to admire the rust, the wheels, the various shapes...

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.
More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

First "REAL" Snow

A country driveway

"Real" snow is the snow that has to be shoveled and that's what we got last Thursday.

Friday afternoon the sun came out (YAY!!) so my husband and I took a short drive to see nature's beauty.

 Canadian National Railway tracks heading southerly

 Melting snow on Pine tree

The sun was warm enough to melt snow and create icicles.

 More tiny icicles

A place to sit and enjoy the sunshine

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.